 |
| General Manager Jerry Reese told Giants.com the team is "not going to try to force anything" in the upcoming draft. |
We ran through our Big Blue View Community Mock Draft, and wound up with Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno falling to our New York Giants. That's a scenario I find highly unlikely to repeat itself Saturday when the real draft -- finally -- gets here.
So, what do I think is going to happen? I don't have any inside information. I read the same reports everyone else does, and this is just the way I read the tea leaves.
I think there is very little chance the Giants actually pick 29th on Saturday. In fact, I would be flabbergasted if General Manager Jerry Reese just sits and waits for the Giants' turn. He has 10 potential selections to play with, and you know there is no way 10 rookies make the Giants' roster this fall. So, Reese has room to maneuver -- and I believe he will.
Ralph Vacchiano is reporting this morning that the long-rumored Braylon Edwards to the Giants trade with Cleveland appears dead.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the Giants no longer see any hope of acquiring the Cleveland receiver and are moving forward with their plans to take a receiver early in the NFL draft. The sticking point still appears to be GM Jerry Reese’s refusal to part with the Giants’ first-round pick and the Browns’ refusal to take anything less.
It’s pretty much been that way since Reese and Browns GM George Kokinis first talked about Edwards in February, but until very recently there was at least some optimism inside the Giants’ organization that one of the two sides would blink. Reese has no plans to blink, the source said, and the Giants are now convinced that Kokinis won’t either.
If that scenario does not pan out, I still don't see the Giants sitting at 29. I can see Reese using his excess picks to jump into the middle of the first round -- pretty much any time after Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin are off the board.
Maybe it's just personal preference, but North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks is the guy my gut tells me is the likely target. Vacchiano is also reporting today that Nicks might be the guy the Giants want. Here is a Nicks scouting report.
Of course, Reese could move up and look to draft a dominating outside linebacker, something the Giants have not had in a looooong time.
Tomorrow I will do a more complete breakdown of the Giants probably 'need' areas heading into draft weekend.
Your thoughts on first-round scenarios?